A good life rule is to make your possessions last for as long as possible. This tops you from spending loads of money, meaning it’s really good for financial stability. Also, from a more eco-friendly perspective, you waste far less, which is good for the environment. Too many of us are guilty of going through things extremely quickly, casting them aside and buying a replacement straight after.
On that topic, today’s post will focus on one of your most prized possessions: your car. Far too many people will fall into the habit of changing cars every few years. Realistically, you should be able to keep the same car for up to a decade, maybe longer. Certainly, your parents probably had the same car for decades when they were younger. This is because the options were limited back then, and cars tended to be harder to buy. So, they were forced to really look after them and keep them in mint condition.
Nowadays, people tend to not look after their cars as well as they should. You don’t keep up with maintenance tasks and you rarely follow good driving practices. In the end, your vehicle gets damaged and stops working way before it should. Thus, you have to get rid of it and buy a new one, so the cycle begins again. It’s extremely costly, not to mention wasteful.
How can you make your car last for as long as possible? By following these tips:
Check your tyre pressure
Your tyres are inflated with air, and they need to be a certain pressure for your car to work at optimal performance. That’s a fancy way of saying, the more deflated your tyres get, the worse it is for your car. It can damage the wheels and make your engine work harder. When your engine has to work harder, it churns out more power, which uses up more fuel. So, you’ll have more trips to the petrol station to fill up your car every week. This costs an outrageous amount of money, not forgetting how bad it is for your engine.
In a way, the engine is your car’s heart. When it works too hard, it’s the equivalent of your heart having to beat really fast to pump out loads of blood. What happens when your heart does this? There can come a point where it works too hard and stops. The same happens to your engine, and it can all be caused by the tyre pressure! Look in the car’s manual to find the precise readings for the pressure in each tyre – or it might say it on the inside of the car door. Either way, check your tyre pressure each month to ensure it stays at the correct level.
Replace the wheels
Did you know that most cars are equipped with pretty shoddy wheels? Unless you’ve splashed the cash on a brand new BMW or luxury vehicle, you’ll have some stock wheels that aren’t overly great. The tyres might not last that long, but the wheels themselves can be quite flimsy and prone to problems.
Consequently, you can extend the life of your car by replacing the wheels. Think about getting sturdy things, like mags, that will enhance car performance. It makes your car easier to drive and transfers power to the wheels more efficiently. Remember how we spoke about stopping your engine from working too hard? Some high-quality wheels will do just that. This leads to less fuel being used, less power being forced out, and a longer-lasting car.
Replace the engine oil
Every car will come with a dashboard that’s littered with different warning lights. One of the main ones to look for is the oil level warning. It should show you how much oil the engine currently has, and you’ll be alerted when it drops below a certain level. If you leave your car with low oil levels for too long, it can cause all sorts of issues for the engine.
You see, oil is needed to lubricate all the working parts of the engine. Yep, you guessed it, the engine will work a lot harder when there’s a lack of oil! Parts may grind together, causing damage that needs to be repaired. It can get to a point where the engine is so bad that it needs to be replaced. So, always check the oil levels and learn how to top it up as required.
Don’t drive like a maniac
A very easy tip to keep your car in good condition is to avoid driving like a crazy person. If you speed around and have terrible driving habits, your car will suffer. Things like dodgy gear changes will grind the transmission and increase the chances of problems occurring. Your car will last much longer when you don’t drive like a maniac!
The best way to do this is to simply be sensible. Don’t do anything that might be considered reckless or stupid. Follow the rules of the road, don’t push your vehicle to its limits, and you’ll be fine.
Get an annual service
What’s the best way to spot any underlying health conditions in a human? By going to the doctor once a year for a physical. They can look over your body, run some tests, then present the results to you. A doctor can identify any problems that might be starting, finding the right way to treat them before they can manifest. As a result, you will be a lot healthier for a lot longer.
The exact same approach applies to your car, only you take it to a car doctor – or, in normal terms, a mechanic! Book your car in for annual servicing so someone can look at it and diagnose any possible issues. If problems are spotted, they can be fixed before they get out of control. Realistically, this is essential if you want to extend the life of your car.
With these tips, you can keep the same car for much longer. This stops you from being wasteful, while also helping you save loads of money.